Selma City Council puts police chief on administrative leave

The Selma City Council voted 5-1 on Friday to put Police Chief Kenta Fulford on administrative leave pending a hearing.

Mayor Johnny Moss III made the recommendation to the council in a special called meeting, saying the chief has been issued directives in the last several weeks for corrections and improvements in key areas and they have not been met.

Issues include managing overtime pay, renewing HR policies for staff and providing more internal accountability that was not complied with consistently, Moss told the council, adding these were “not isolated issues.”

“They’ve had a direct and measurable impact on public safety operations and the fiscal stability of the city,” Moss said.

Documentation was provided to the council, but Councilwoman Jannie Thomas said they weren’t given time to look over the paperwork before the vote, which prompted her to vote against the request to put the chief on administrative leave. Council members voting in favor were Michael Johnson, Ashley Ervin, Lesia James and Nadine Sturdivant and Council President Kennard Randolph.

The mayor did not announce who will serve as interim chief.

Chief Fulford was not present for the meeting because of National Guard duty, however, Moss said he would not have been asked for comment in the meeting if he was there.

This isn’t the first time Fulford has been placed on administrative leave in his time as chief. The previous Mayor James Perkins Jr. put him on leave in 2024 citing poor communication and he was reinstated after two months. Fulford was also placed on leave in 2023 after the January tornado because he was slow to return to the storm-ravaged city after attending a conference.